The
Vanson Hailwood Jackets• Hand
made by Vanson from U.S. Medium Weight Firenze Leather
• There are two styles available, the '60's era - MH-O1 (shown
right) and Mike's '78 comeback - MH-02 (shown
far right )
• Only 500 numbered jackets of each design
• Authentic "period" embroidered patches
• Each jacket made to order with your name embroidered in the
lining
• Correct details such as rayon lining
• Limited edition racing print of Mike included with each jacket
• Letter of authenticity included

< Use
the links to the left to learn more about Mike and the Hailwood
Jackets from Vanson!

Drum-dyeing Leather

The
Vanson Philosophy: No Compromises
The quest for excellence and perfection never ends. We continue to create
a new standard with every Vanson Product.

Every Vanson product is as unique as your own bike. Our workers make sure
that your jacket has the fit and the finish that will distinguish you from
the crowd. Perhaps that is why you can spot a Vanson garment in a crowd
of hundreds. And, we will continue to make the most innovative and unique
products for years to come. Your investment in a genuine Vanson will make
even more sense in 10 years: you'll still be wearing it!

That is what we call "heirloom quality" garments.

That is
the heart and soul of Vanson.

The
Leather
At Vanson we use domestic drum-dyed top grain cowhide, finished and waxed
by hand. Tanning is the process of converting the cellular structure of
skin into a network of collagen fibers. How short or how long, how tangled
or how straight is the determining factor in the stretch and the strength
of the leather, and the density and complexity of that network is affected
by the blend of materials used in the tanning. The random structure of
this network has great tensile strength. This, as ancient toolmakers and
armories as well as modern motorcyclists know, makes for an unparalleled
protective material. So good that man has been unable to duplicate or improve
it for the purposes of the modern motorcyclist.

Vanson leather is chrome tanned, a process developed in the last half of
the nineteenth century to create leather that is strong, durable, can be
dyed and will hold that coloring. The next step is drum dyeing where Vanson
leather is tumbled for up to six hours with a mixture of oils, dyes and
hot water in 12 X 12 foot oak drums. This method impregnates the leather
with color and nourishes the skins making them stronger and more supple.
After drum dyeing the skins are polished and waxed to maximize the character
of each hide. Finally, finishing is the process where our leather receives
its top coat and is made ready for cutting.

Before finishing we select only the best tanned hides, culling out skins
that don’t meet our standards. Then, once the skins arrive at our cutting
tables, we further eliminate any inferior skins as we start the process
of building your jacket.

Some manufacturers use nude leather with a smooth buttery finish. In
contrast to that Vanson leather is somewhat stiff. It is polished and its
top coat over several underlying applications of waxes gives it Vanson’s
characteristically deep finish, its luster and its durability over time.
In the worst-case scenario, when your jacket is all that’s between you
and the asphalt, your Vanson jacket with its different feel and hard topcoat
has been proven to perform the best.